Share:

Hunter shot in Stowe in serious, but stable condition

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont police department says a hunter who suffered life-threatening injuries after being shot in Stowe is in serious, but stable condition at a Burlington hospital.

Stowe Police on Wednesday identified the victim of the late Tuesday afternoon shooting as 31-year-old Joshua Fitzgerald, of Westford.

Police say a preliminary investigation found that Fitzgerald was standing outside a pickup truck. A rifle went off accidentally inside the truck as it was being unloaded by 24-year-old Avery Cochran, of South Burlington. The two men were returning from hunting at about 5 p.m.

The investigation into the shooting is continuing.

Mandatory hunter training is credited with helping to reduce over the years the number of hunter-involved shootings. Vermont has not seen a hunter shooting fatality since 2011.

(Copyright (c) 2019 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)